


Thanksgiving Dinner

by CheezBri



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel in the Bunker, Destiel if you really squint, Domestic, Happy Family-ish, I wan to know what Mary thinks about Castiel, M/M, Men of Letters Bunker, Season/Series 12, Season/Series 12 Spoilers, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Dinner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 02:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8648038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheezBri/pseuds/CheezBri
Summary: Sam and Dean don't celebrate the holidays, except for maybe Christmas, if they have the money to spare, and the occasional, "Happy Birthday."But with Mary back and Lucifer currently under an ocean, maybe this Thanksgiving could be different?Spoilers for Season 12.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I know only Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. Well, Sam and Dean are Americans.
> 
> I really don't know, guys. It popped in my head and wouldn't leave.

It was the 4th Thursday of November.

            Usually, this Thursday wouldn’t be any more different from another Thursday. There may be a hunt, or Sam and Dean would stay at the bunker, researching or wallowing in guilt (as they both tended to do).

            But this year was different.

            Unlike how the story would be told later, it was Dean who came up with the idea, two days prior, a Tuesday.

            He approached Sam early in the morning over a breakfast of toast and coffee. “Sam, this week is Thanksgiving.”

            Sam raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, so?”

            “Well, I was thinkin’,” he paused and took a breath. “I was thinking maybe we could celebrate it this year.”

            Sam placed his toast back down on his plate, “Dude, we’ve never celebrated Thanksgiving before. Not even with Dad. Why do you want to now?”

            Dean shrugged, “I don’t know man. It’s just… with Mom being back, the world not ending, and Lucifer probably still in the ocean… it seemed like a good idea to celebrate it. Have something normal for once in our lives.”

            “Since when have our lives ever been normal?”

            “Never, okay? I get it. I only thought maybe, with things not turning apocalyptic any time soon as we could see, it’d be nice, alright? But, no, I see. It was a stupid idea. Forget I said anything,” Dean stood up and made to leave the room.

            “Dean, wait,” Sam said. “It is a good idea. I just don’t know… you know, what we’ll do. It’s not like either of us are stellar cooks. And what if Mom doesn’t show?”

            “She will. And, that’s why there’s grocery stores, Sam. We don’t have to actually cook anything. Or even make it fancy. We just… do the Thanksgiving thing. Get together and pretend to be a normal, functioning family for once.”

            “Alright… You do the shopping and I’ll call Mom okay?”

            Dean nodded, grabbed his jacket, and left, presumably to the garage.

            Sam sighed before calling Mary. He never understood where Dean’s ideas came from. Too much _Dr. Sexy MD_ perhaps?

            The phone had reached its last tone before Mary picked up, “Hello? Sam? Is that you?”

            “Yes. It’s me, Mom. Listen, I know you still need your space but Dean has this crazy idea… Well, he wants to do Thanksgiving.”

            “Thanksgiving?”

            “Yes. It’s this Thursday. He wants to get together and have, like, a family dinner or something.”

            “None of us can cook.”

            “Grocery stores was his answer.”

            Mary didn’t respond and he sighed.

            “Listen, Mom. I know you are trying to figure things out right now. Find out what you miss. But, please. It only has to be for a couple hours. Just come, eat dinner, maybe tell a few stories or listen to a few and then you can go back out and follow Dad’s journal more.” _It may kill Dean to have you leave again, but maybe you’ll change your mind over the course of dinner._

“I’m not sure, Sam. Won’t it be more awkward than fun?”

            “I don’t know. But we won’t for sure unless we try? Perhaps, we can show you some pictures or something about Dad, of us growing up. Help you a little bit.” God, he sounded desperate.

            He heard Mary sigh on the other end, “Okay. I’ll think about it, alright? Just… don’t expect too much.”

            He had to bit his tongue from saying, _I know._ “Be careful.”

            “I will. And you two as well. I love you.”

            “Love you too, Mom.”

            _Click._

Sam stared at the phone. At least he’d tried. Dean wouldn’t be too happy, though.

 

Two hours later, Dean was back with the backseat of the Impala loaded with grocery bags.

            “Dude! How much did you _buy_?”

            “I don’t know. Just get it all in the kitchen okay. God, everything was so confusing. Why does it matter if its extra virgin olive oil, anyway? How can something even be _extra virgin_?”

            Sam decided not to ask.

            Turns out Dean had bought almost entire shopping cart full of instant everything. Instant mashed potatoes. Instant gravy. Instant stuffing. Even instant _turkey_. And a whole pie.

            Plus, a lot of unneeded spices and oils, “I don’t know! The cashier girl said I needed them! And I couldn’t turn down such a hot chick!”

            Needless to say, everything was now put away in the small kitchen, ready for Thursday. The two brothers sat at the table with a couple of bottles of beer.

            “So, did you call her?” Dean asked.

            Sam nodded.

            “And?”

            He shrugged, “She said she’d have to think about it. She’s not sure… what to do.”

            Dean tried not to let the disappointment show on his face. The one Thanksgiving he remembered as a kid had been hilarious and fun. Helping his mom in the kitchen all day, only to end up eating half of whatever it was instead. Her laughing and his dad smiling, genuinely smiling. Mom had been expecting Sammy by then, but barely showed, and Dean didn’t understand why his dad kept hugging her from behind and placing his hands on her stomach so often. They hadn’t told him until Christmas.

            “Just, let’s wait and see, okay, Dean? She might come.”

            He waved it off, “Yeah, let’s see. Oh, what about Cas? Think he might be game?”

            “I don’t know. He’s pretty set on the whole Revenge-Against-Lucifer mission. He might not want to take a break.”

            “I’ll call him,” he pulled out his phone and did so, right then.

            “Hello, Dean,” was the greeting he was given.

            “Hey, Cas. How’s the Lucifer hunt going?”

            He sighed on the other line, “Not well. Rowena has sent him to the ocean, and he has not made a noticeable reappearance.”

            “That sucks, man. But, hey, listen. You know about Thanksgiving, right?”

            “I am aware of the tradition, yes.”

            “Well, Sammy and I are thinking about celebrating it this year, and you’re invited. Do you want to come and have dinner on Thursday with us, and maybe our mom?”

            There was a pause, “You… want me to come and have dinner with you? On Thanksgiving Day?”

            “Yes. You’re family, Cas. And, well, Thanksgiving is when you’re supposed to be with family, right?”

            Another pause, “I’ll start driving now. I’m on the East Coast, so I may not arrive until late Thursday.”

            “No problem, man. We won’t start without you.” The line died; Cas still hadn’t figured out proper phone etiquette.

            “So?” Sam asked.

            “He’s on his way.”

            “Well, that took less convincing than I thought.”

            “What can I say? I’m very persuasive.”

            “Dean, no.”

            He laughed and left the room, “Better start learning how to cook enough rabbit food for four people, Sammy!”

            Sam glared at the hallway where Dean disappeared. But he did have a point. A salad would be nice to have for dinner.

 

Thursday. November. Thanksgiving Day. It was time.

            Dean put on the ridiculous apron they had found in the pantry—bright pink with a typical ‘Kiss the Cook’—and stared hard at the package in his hand, deciphering the unknown language of cooking.

            Just like a pro, he opened the package, placed water in a pan, and let it boil. Then he dumped the contents in and started to stir for the allotted amount of time. Soon enough, he had a pile of glorious mashed potatoes.

            Maybe this wouldn’t be too bad after all.

 

Around noon, Cas arrived, knocking on the bunker door. Sam opened it as Dean was still in the kitchen, trying to figure out how one cooked instant turkey.

            “Sam,” Castiel greeted him as he stepped through the door. “It’s nice to see you again.”

            “Nice to see you too, Cas. Glad you could come.”

            They both headed towards the kitchen. “Hello, Dean.”

            “Hey, Cas,” Dean spared a glance at the angel before turning back to the strange package in his hand. “I’m happy you could make it. Thanks.”

            “It was an honour to be invited. Thank you.”

            Dean waved his hand, “No problem. No problem. Like I told you, you’re family. Today’s a day for those. Now, do you know how to make instant turkey?”

            Castiel wrinkled his eyebrows, “No, I am not aware of the process, but perhaps I could help figure it out?”

            “That’d be awesome, man.”

            Sam left to go find something to do so he wouldn’t be blamed for the kitchen’s devastation. Which would happen in one form or another. And both he didn’t need to see.

 

Five hours later, Dean yelled that dinner was ready and to come and eat before everything went cold.

            Mary still hadn’t showed.

            Sam felt as if he should have expected it.

            Dean forced a smile.

            Cas’ was more genuine, but he seemed to understand one member of their family was missing. Hell, many were; Dad, Bobby, Charlie. But, Mary was the only one alive that wasn’t present. Sam hoped she would turn up today; it didn’t matter when.

           

They were laughing over the story of a ridiculous hunt from so long ago, before Dad had disappeared, before Dad had died, before Dean had gone to Hell, before the apocalypse, before Sam had been trapped in the change, before Leviathans, before Purgatory, before Naomi, before Metatron, before Kevin, before Charlie, before everything. Back when everything was black and white—monster and human. Kill or be killed.

            “Hello?” a voice called.

            Sam and Dean both froze, reaching for their guns.

            “Hello?” they called again.

            It was _Mom_!

            “Mom!” Dean yelled and stood up, racing out of the room. He brought her into the kitchen, smiling genuinely now, and gave her a loaded plate. She smiled and greeted everyone—though she seemed hesitant around Castiel—and they all returned to eating.

            At first, an awkward silence was in the air. But then, Dean finished his previous story, which made Mom want him to start again, and soon they were all doubling over in laughter, trying not to choke on their food.

            They were a family again.

At least for these few moments.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm looking for a fic that I read a really long time ago and forgot to save. It's Destiel (naturally) and consisted of Dean talking to Charlie (after some goading) about WHEN could he ever tell Cas he loved/cared for him because of all the crap that goes on in their lives. 
> 
> Thanks for the help!


End file.
